Overview: Financing Partnerships

ADB continued to provide agile and tailored support to its developing member countries in 2021, balancing the need to address short-term COVID-19 response with ensuring longer-term pandemic recovery. ADB’s robust and reliable long-term partnerships played a major role in mobilizing financial resources and specialist knowledge during the pandemic.

ADB’s financing partnerships can be “sovereign” in nature, i.e., driven by country needs determined by national governments of ADB member countries. They can also be “nonsovereign,” i.e., initiated by private entities, which may also be aligned with government priorities or respond to local concerns, such as microfinance, or regional concerns, such as digital health.

ADB and its financing partners pool financial resources, share in the risks involved, and combine knowledge and technical expertise in planning and implementing a development program or project. ADB offers full or partial administration of development assistance and programs cofinanced with partners.

“Through partnerships, we build strong alliances, promote knowledge-based solutions, and expand funding for our developing member countries. While many countries in the region continued to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus is now increasingly turning to laying the foundation for a green, resilient, and inclusive recovery.”

Financing Partnerships and ADB Strategy 2030

Financing partnerships are working intensely—designing and implementing projects, testing ideas, and sharing knowledge—to achieve the targets of Strategy 2030’s seven operational priorities and working toward a green, inclusive, and resilient COVID-19 pandemic recovery in Asia and the Pacific.

Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities

Partnerships are imperative to address the complexity and breadth of the challenges posed by COVID-19. ADB is committed to corralling ideas as well as delivering on the ambition of a recovery that sets a sustainable path for everyone, especially the poor and marginalized.

Accelerating progress in gender equality

Financing partnerships addressed the immediate gender impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the region from sliding behind on its gender equality commitments and, more broadly, to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability

Climate action and mainstreaming the environment are complex and require serious thinking on how humans should interact with nature and the planet. ADB and its partners are heeding this call through ambitious climate action and nature-positive projects that offer concrete results and prioritize a green and sustainable future

Making cities more livable

The COVID-19 pandemic gave a new dimension to resilience, especially in cities that have already been challenged by rapid migration for decades. ADB and its partners are working to make cities more sustainable, livable, and resilient.

Promoting rural development and food security

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted agricultural value chains and rural economies, exacerbated poverty and food insecurity, and undermined development gains. ADB and its partners are addressing sustainable agri-food systems, inclusive rural development, and innovative investments for rural revitalization and a greener and resilient recovery.

Governance and Capacity Building

ADB and its financing partners, governments, and the broader global development community have shifted their focus on how to recover lost ground and reignite momentum behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is a broad consensus that real SDG progress is linked to better governance and more effective governments.

Fostering regional cooperation and integration

ADB’s financing partnerships has a solid track record of regional cooperation, not just on infrastructure connectivity, trade, and finance, but also in combating the spread of communicable and infectious diseases, such as SARS, avian flu, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, malaria, and now, COVID-19.